Protect farmers' interest: Hooda to BJP

Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday said that the ruling government should protect the farmers' interest on priority basis. "First of all the crops witnessed a decline and then the farmers had to struggle for urea and water under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state," he said.

punjabUpdated: Dec 18, 2014 21:31 IST

HT Correspondent Hindustan Times

Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday said that the ruling government should protect the farmers' interest on priority basis. "First of all the crops witnessed a decline and then the farmers had to struggle for urea and water under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state," he said.

Hooda, accompanied by his parliamentarian son Deepender Singh Hooda, former minister KM Hooda, Meham MLA Anand Singh Dangi and Kalanaur MLA Shakuntala Khatak, was talking to mediapersons at his residence in Model Town.

"Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar accuses previous Congress government of leaving behind traps but how can increasing the age of the government employees and pension of elderlies, widows can be anti-people decisions," retorted Hooda, when he was asked to respond on Khattar government's review on 182 decisions.

Average life span of people have increased so the decision of enhancing the age of employees was done to give them more time but reversing the decision by saffron government is actually anti-people, he said.

"If they can't fulfill the promised old age pension and salary on par with neighbouring Punjab, give us the power for one month, we would show them how it is done," he added while interacting with the media for the first time after poll debacle.

Defending the allegations of leaving behind the state in poor financial health, Garhi Sampla Kiloi MLA Hooda said that the state's financial position was sound and the debt on Haryana was also in permission limit. "In revenue deficit also, the position of the state is much better than that of Punjab and Gujarat," he said.

He rubbished the claims of having sour relations with Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ashok Tanwar and CLP leader Kiran Choudhry. "We are in good terms and anyone who empowers the party should be heard," he said.